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What is the meaning of this excerpt from "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker?

"In real life I am a large, big-boned woman with rough, man-working hands. In the winter I wear flannel nightgowns to bed and overalls during the day. I can kill and clean a hog as mercilessly as a man. My fat keeps me hot in zero weather. I can work outside all day, breaking ice to get water for washing; I can eat pork liver cooked over the open fire minutes after it comes steaming from the hog. One winter I knocked a bull calf straight in the brain between the eyes with a sledgehammer and had the meat hung up to chill before nightfall. But of course all this does not show on television. I am the way my daughter would want me to be: a hundred pounds lighter, my skin like an uncooked barley pancake. My hair glistens in the hot bright lights."

What does this passage reveal about the narrator's character and her relationship with her daughter?

Answer :

Final answer:

The excerpt presents the narrator's pride in her physical strength and traditional roles, contrasting with societal beauty ideals that favor a slimmer appearance. It illustrates themes of identity and the dissonance between real self and media representation. Walker's work emphasizes the importance of embracing one's true self amid external pressures.


Explanation:

Analysis of the Excerpt from "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker

The excerpt you provided from Alice Walker's "Everyday Use" reflects a juxtaposition between the narrator's physical presence and societal perceptions of femininity. The narrator describes herself as a large, big-boned woman, with rough, man-working hands, highlighting her strength and the traditional roles she fulfills in her daily life—roles that are often associated with hard labor and practicality.

In this section, the narrator takes pride in her ability to engage in challenging physical tasks, such as killing and cleaning a hog, which reinforces her connection to her roots and the cultural heritage she embodies. Despite her strength and resilience, she is aware of how media portrayals often skew perceptions of women. The phrase about her daughter wanting her to be 'a hundred pounds lighter' suggests a tension between the narrator’s real, substantial self and the idealized versions of femininity propagated by society, emphasizing the disconnect between reality and media representation.

Finally, the vivid imagery—"My hair glistens in the hot bright lights"—contrasts the narrator's authentic self with the glamorous expectations of appearance, underscoring themes of identity, self-acceptance, and the complexities of womanhood in a modern context. This excerpt serves as a powerful commentary on the nature of identity and the often conflicting expectations placed upon women.


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